This site responds to the exact size of the browser window, which helps ensure good UX on all devices.
Southern Adventist University is a Christian College, and that brand is clear and prevalent throughout their copy.
Concord uses appropriate photography to support what would have been a bland links list.
When these sites were designed, it was important to cram everything "above the fold" due to slow site load times.
Calls to Action should always be directly related to the content at hand. Otherwise, the user's attention is divided between the CTAs and the task they're trying to accomplish.
Images, icons, and clean, relevant graphics help the user find things quickly and easily by making the page more scan-able.
Valencia asks the user to drill down by degree type (associates > A.A. vs. A.S, etc.). When looking for Nursing, it took 10 minutes of clicking around to find the program. Users who know they want to be a nurse, but don't know the path, requirements, or degree type, will be lost.
Forcing the user to dive through multiple hover states requires unnecessary precision, patience, knowledge of what to expect, and is completely unusable on mobile.
Seminole State has a good balance of elements the user needs in a clear and functional layout.